Tuesday, 16 March 2010

BNP: death threats 'R' us

Former boxer John Laidlaw, 24, who had earlier threatened to "kill all black people", was found guilty of three counts of attempted murder and two firearms charges. He is the latest in a long line of members and activists of the BNP - which claims to be a "law and order" party - to be jailed for violent, sexual or anti-social offences.

Last week I received a death threat . . . from a leading member of a democratically elected political party . . . The threat was delivered despite the presence of a camera crew from one of the major TV networks and the individual made it clear that he knew who I was and how to find me. He told me that next time I set foot in Southend (I am Labour's PPC for Southend West), I was ‘going to die’. . . As you may have guessed, these were not the actions of a mainstream, respectable political party. Anyone who has been involved with the anti-fascist movement will recognise these as the tactics of the British National Party

Independent councillor Stephen Murray said he had been verbally intimated and threatened with a dog by youths after he spoke out against a BNP leaflet claiming the Murray Hall had been turned into a mosque by a prayer group.

Police are investigating a senior member of the BNP in Wales over alleged threats to kill a man who posted an anti-BNP video on a website.

Roger Phillips, the BNP’s deputy organiser for West Wales, allegedly made the 12-minute expletive-filled telephone rant after he discovered the video about him on YouTube. Mark Watson recorded the call, in which Mr Phillips allegedly threatened to kill him, and handed it to police. Avon and Somerset police said they had been in touch with South Wales Police and were investigating the complaint, which they described as “serious”.

BNP’s deputy leader for Wales is going to have to go to court to face allegations of death threats against a You Tube user. Roger Phillips who went by the usernames Wellard67 and WalesBNP is well known on the website by the anti-BNP activists. One of these activists a Mr Mark Watson was on the receiving end of Mr Phillips’ anger when he rang him and threatened to kill him.